


i tell my love to wreck it all, cut out all the ropes and let me fall

by swanmills



Series: Swan Queen Week 2015 [2]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, F/F, Femslash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-13
Updated: 2015-07-13
Packaged: 2018-04-09 03:19:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4331811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/swanmills/pseuds/swanmills
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>skinny love (n.): when two people love each other, but are to shy to admit it; yet they still show it.</p><p>sometimes all it takes is a dirty bathroom stall.</p><p>day 2 of swan queen week for summer 2015: jealousy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	i tell my love to wreck it all, cut out all the ropes and let me fall

**Author's Note:**

> sorry if the prom is somehow written weirdly; i still haven't gone yet.  
> if you have any questions, my tumblr is swanmills. :)

Emma walked out of her seventh hour Calculus class, her mind fried like it was food from a state fair, and she was about to finish the combination on her locker when a body slammed into her and arms wrap around her side.

Jumping from being startled, Emma looked up to see Regina, her best friend, smiling.

“He asked me!” She was gasping for breath as she detached herself from Emma, her eyes shining and Emma’s heart racing.

“What?” Emma’s mind was still muddled from all that math (at this level it was practically another language), a confused look adorning her bespectacled face.

“Robin!” Regina’s hands were gripping on Emma’s shoulders. “He asked me to prom!”

Emma’s world _froze_. Millions of thoughts seemed to race in and out of her head at once.

Regina was going to prom? With Robin? Regina was so intelligent, and kind, and spirited, and Robin was anything but. Robin was the asshole who tripped people in the cafeteria and laughed as his victims wore their own food. Emma should know. It had happened in 8th grade and the whole cafeteria had looked, and sometimes Emma could still feel thousands of pairs of eyes on her.

So why did he get the girl Emma had been pining after for almost three years? Emma was the one who answered the 4 A.M. texts, the one who snuck Regina Skittles because they were her favorite and Regina’s mother didn’t allow anything with artificial sugar in the house, the one who watched all the cheesy rom coms even though she personally thought they were a bore, the one who helped Regina sneak out of her house in the middle of the night to sit on the docks when her house and parents and expectations were too stifling for Regina to stay. The one who knew her more ways than anyone else did.

Emma didn’t blame Regina for her lack of feelings, but she mentally gave Fate the bird for it.

Once her thoughts were gathered together, Emma’s nose wrinkled in disgust instinctively, her thick, black glasses rising and touching her eyebrows. “That’s… great…?”

Regina’s face fell. “Are you not excited? I thought you would be.”

Emma sighed, closing her locker as everything was packed into her backpack. She and Regina started walking through the hallway. “I’m not gonna lie and say I am excited - ”

Regina looked crestfallen.

“But, I have a reason.” Emma held her hands up in defense. “Do you even like the guy?”

Regina twisted her bottom lip between her teeth, pondering. “A little?”

Emma raised an eyebrow, giving her friend a skeptical look. “Are you trying to convince me or yourself?”

“I just…” Regina fiddled with the strap of her messenger bag. “He’s the captain of the basketball team, he’s decent looking, and he gets good grades...”

They were outside, and Emma pulled Regina aside, standing under a tree to not be in the way of other pedestrians. “But do you like him?” she repeated.

“Mother does,” Regina whispered, and suddenly, Emma understood.

“Regina,” Emma said, running a hand through her unruly blonde mane, “you can’t ruin your prom because you need to impress your mother. Go with someone you actually like!”

“Like who?” Regina laughed, though Emma knew it wasn’t because she thought something was funny. “Who would actually want to go to prom with me?”

 _Me_. “I don’t know.”

Regina straightened her posture as if a rod had been inserted into her spine, both of her hands gripping tightly to get bag. “I’m going to prom with Robin, Emma. I know it’s not the best option, maybe, but… it’s the only one right now.” She put her hand on Emma’s shoulder, her thumb instinctively stroking it, and her eyes softened momentarily. “I don’t need another mother, Emma. I need a best friend. And you’re the only one who can fulfill that. Okay?”

She left, leaving Emma alone.

Emma heaved out a sigh, kicking a stray stone that was on the sidewalk. As she watched it skitter away, she sent a quick text to someone she knew had been in this position before.

_Can you meet me by the docks in an hour?_

 

\---

 

Emma sat on one of the few benches onlooking the docks of Storybrooke Harbor, her legs pressed into her chest and her chin resting on her knees. She was staring at the small waves at the wind carried the water, but she wasn’t really seeing them. Instead, she was thinking.

A dramatic plop into the spot next to her shook Emma out of her zone.

“Hey, love,” said the unmistakable Irish accent. Emma looked to see Killian sitting beside her. He brought out his hip flank. “Want some?”

“No thanks.” Emma wrinkled her nose.

Killian nodded, muttering a “Suit yourself,” putting it back, and he lifted his arms to lean against the top of the bench’s railing. “What’s the matter, then? It must be serious if you don’t want to forget it with alcohol.” He gave Emma a half grin.

Emma sighed, uncurling her body and stretching her legs against the wooden planks of the deck. “How did you deal with David being straight?”

Killian mulled over Emma’s question for a moment. “I drank a lot of booze and watched NBA reruns.”

Emma crossed her arms. “Not really what I was thinking of.”

“Well.” Killian shrugged. He put a hand on his chest for emphasis. “You asked how _I_ dealt with it.”

“Okay, let me rephrase the question. How do you think _I_ should deal with it?”

Killian gave Emma a look and she continued with, “Something that doesn’t have to do with sports or rum.”

Killian scratched the scruffy hair on his face he liked to call a beard. “Is this about Regina?”

“Of course this is about Regina!” Emma said, exasperated. “She’s going to prom with Robin.”

“Ick,” said Killian. “He’s not really my type; and _every_ guy is my type.”

“Right?!” Emma threw her hands in the air. “Why would someone as great as Regina go with someone like _him_?”

The two watched the waves on the lake for a few seconds, and an idea formed in Emma’s head.

“Killian?” she asked. “Are you still in the closet?”

"I practically live there,” Killian said. "It doesn't matter, though. You're one of the few that know. This small town couldn’t afford my sexuality to be a topic of discussion.” He raised an eyebrow. “Why do you ask?”

Emma grinned mischievously. “How do you feel about going to prom with me?”

Killian laughed as the pieces clicked in his head. “Your plan is to make Regina jealous?”

“If heteronormativity makes even _my_ lesbian tendencies unknown to this town, I might as well play the system,” Emma shrugged. “And I doubt _you’ve_ got a date with something that’s not in a bottle.”

“You may or may not be correct.” Killian sighing, patting his hip flank as if it was a dog at his side. “You wanna make Regina jealous? I’m in.”

They shook on it.

 

\---

 

A week before prom started, Regina was sitting at the dinner table with her parents, idly pushing her food around. Her mother had been excited (if that was a term that could be used for describing Cora Mills), and her father had been happy when Regina had told the new about Robin.

If she tried hard enough, she was happy about it, too.

“How was your Physics exam, Regina?” Cora questioned.

“It went fine,” Regina answered, stabbing a salad leaf with her fork.

“‘Fine’?” Cora pursed her lips and an eyebrow arched.

Regina’s heart skipped a beat and she could feel her face grow warm. “I apologize, it’s an expression. I know that I did well,” she said, correcting herself.

“I did not raise you to speak properly only for you to use _expressions_ ,” Cora snapped. She huffed, pinching the bridge of her nose. Looking back at Regina, she said, “You know I only do this because I care about you, right?”

“Of course, Mother,” was Regina’s immediate response.

A phone beeped and Cora took hers quickly out of her pocket. “This may be a client,” she said, picking her napkin up from her lap and setting it beside her dish. “I need to take it. I apologize for the interruption.”

She left, leaving Regina and her father alone.

“Regina,” her father said in a worrying tone. “You’ve barely eaten.”

Regina looked at her dinner plate. She had mainly pushed things around, taking bites few and far in between. “I’m not hungry tonight,” she whispered, setting down her fork.

“Are you ever?” Henry sighed, his forehead wrinkled. “I want you to take care of yourself. You’re too beautiful and intelligent to waste away.”

Regina took a forkful of vegetables and forced it into her mouth, smiling weakly when she was done chewing. Her father gave a weak smile back, but Regina could tell he was still unconvinced.

 

That night, as Regina laid in her bed, a pit formed in her stomach as she thought of the upcoming prom with Robin. She didn’t want to go with him! It was such a childish thing to stay up for, but it nicked at her mind nonetheless. It’s not as if Robin was a jerk (okay, so he kind of was, but he opened doors for Regina and said she looked pretty and that’s about all you need these days, right? Is this what you do when a guy likes you? Go to prom with him?), Regina just didn’t know how to handle the situation.

It’s not like the person Regina _wanted_ to go with would ask her.

Sophomore year had been an absolute wreck with Regina coming to terms with her sexuality. It’s one of the many secrets she’s pushed down inside her. She knows the dam will break soon, but patching it up with duct tape, tears, and Internet research has been decent so far, so she doesn’t feel the need to tell someone or fix it. Regina had come to realize she wasn’t straight the hard way; watching your best friend change in front of you and realizing you weren’t looking at her because you thought the pattern of her bra was cute makes you wonder if something's wrong.

Regina had tried to be obvious about her crush towards Emma, bringing the discussion of crushes up, talking about her favorite female celebrities, but it seemed the blonde was just as oblivious about it as Regina had been at first. Or, Regina realized, maybe she _did_ know, but she didn’t like Regina that way, and didn’t want to bring it up in case it ruined their friendship. Emma had moved too much as a kid to make friends and Regina just didn’t make them; they were the closest things to salvation in each other’s lives sometimes. Regina understood why Emma chose to ignore it.

It was just one of the facts, one of the unchanging things in Regina’s life. She’s had a crush on Emma Swan since the beginning of sophomore year (Emma had laughed at some lame joke one day, her blonde hair a _mess_ and her green eyes _sparkling_ and it was like Regina could feel the caterpillars in her gut forming cocoons, as if she was personally getting to know each and every butterfly starting to manifest in her stomach), and was still head over heels two years later. Regina also knew that Emma didn’t like her back, because Emma didn't look at Regina like she did at Emma when Emma wasn't looking. Because if Emma did, they’d probably catch each other’s eyes in the process.

And lastly, Regina knew she was going to prom with Robin, because he was good looking, his parents were well off, and most importantly, he was a boy.

 

\---

 

A week later, Emma stood in front of the mirror, softly touching her curled blond hair. She blinked, getting used the the contacts (she rarely wore them out of laziness), and breathed in slowly, trying to get her nerves together.

“Oh Emma, you look so gorgeous!” Her adoptive mother, Mary Margaret said, fawning over her. Even though she was only 28, Mary Margaret had the heart of a 50 year old woman, and its need to dote and love like a grandmother normally would was used on Emma. Her whole life being without it made Mary Margaret’s unabashed feelings towards her uncomfortable at first, especially with Mary Margaret barely out of college and into her 20’s at the time, but she’d always liked it. It’s a nice feeling when you know you’re wanted, even if it wasn’t how you had imagined at first.

Emma’s prom dress was simple, but that was the way Emma preferred it. It was a sea green, with one sleeve that ended a few inches up her elbow, and with a thigh slit that ended with ruffles that trailed to the floor. Emma smiled at her young mother’s compliment.

“Don’t cry, M&M,” said Emma, as she saw tears prick the edges of Mary Margaret’s soft eyes.

Mary Margaret’s shaky hands landed on Emma’s shoulders, and she stroked them softly. “I’m just so proud of you, okay? I know you’ve been only been living here since you were 12, but I want you to know this is your home.” Emma gave a teary-eyed smile and opened her arms to hug her mother but she shook her head. “Don’t,” she whispered. “I don’t want to ruin your pretty dress and make up. And stop crying.”

Emma laughed at her mother’s antics.

The doorbell rang soon after and Mary Margaret squealed. “I’ll go get the camera!”

“M&M,” Emma tried groaning halfheartedly, but it was ruined by the smile she wore.

“Just one picture, or maybe five, and then you can go, okay? It’s not every day your daughter goes to prom!”

Emma’s heart warmed with Mary Margaret’s choice of words as she opened the door and Killian strutted in, wearing a suit with a green tie that matched Emma’s dress.

_Daughter._

 

\---

 

Regina was on Robin’s arm, her hand just barely touching Robin’s forearm (her discomfort would be too obvious if she hovered, so she dealt with it), as they walked from the car Robin’s parents let him borrow to the school gym where the prom was taking place.

“You look beautiful tonight, Regina,” Robin said. It had been the third time he had said something to that effect that night, and Regina felt like taking one of her heels and stabbing herself in the eye.

Instead, she said, “You look handsome as well, Robin.” The last two times she had used “attractive” and “lovely”. While her vocabulary was large and she could use different words to pseudo-describe her date for hours, she didn’t want to. She hoped he would stop.

As they walked through the gym doors, loud pop music reached Regina’s ears and lights, people, and sound danced across the floor. It had startled Regina at first, but she got used to it after a few seconds.

“Regina! Robin!” Regina whirled around to see Kathryn Midas and her date, David Nolan, at her side. Other than Emma, Kathryn was probably one of Regina’s only other friends. Kathryn was one of the few people who personally understood Regina and the mess that was her parents, and it was how they had first bonded.

Kathryn came over to Regina and hugged her, nodding at Robin afterwards. “How’s it going?”

“It’s been good!” Robin answered. “The student council did really well with decorating.” This year’s theme had been the Enchanted Forest; paper vines and trees were taped along the walls, along with some stray fairy tale creatures, and the punch was a dark green, with cookies from Granny’s that shared the same colored icing set along for punch table for anyone who wanted some.

"Thank you," said Kathryn, as she was one of the members who had helped. Regina was also in the student council, but she had not been in one of the assigned groups to decorate the gym. She had helped sell tickets during the lunch periods, instead.

“How people can pick up a pencil and create art is beyond me,” David laughed. “I envy their talents.”

“Hey, David, why don’t we let the girls talk and we’ll go get drinks?” Robin asked, patting David on the shoulder. He looked back at Regina and Kathryn. “If that’s alright with you two?”

“Yes,” said Regina, and Kathryn nodded in affirmation. They walked away and Regina’s shoulders relaxed only a small bit, but it was enough for Kathryn to notice.

“You okay?” she asked.

“I’m fine,” Regina shrugged. “Just all the loud noise. I feel closed in.”

“I know the feeling.” Kathryn agreed, swiping some of her blonde hair over her shoulder. “But I can feel this is something different. Is it about Robin? Do you like him?”

Regina sighed. “I’m… sure he’s a great person.”

Kathryn ‘hmm’ed.

“He’s not my type,” Regina whispered.

Kathryn cocked her head slightly, giving Regina a look. “Is he not your type because of his personality, or is it because he’s a guy?”

“Kathryn!” Regina practically screeched. She put her hand over her heart and her cheeks flamed and she leaned towards Kathryn, making sure her next words weren't quite as loud. “That’s not what I was insinuating!”

“Okay,” Kathryn laughed, “but if it makes you feel better, you’re not the only one.”

Regina’s eyes widened. “You?”

“David,” Kathryn corrected, and she smiled, content in the fact that her assumptions had been right. “He’s more like a brother to me, you know. But the star quarterback not having a date to prom is too suspicious, especially here. He needed help, so I helped. I have no problem with it.”

“Oh.” Regina quickly glanced at a group of people laughing, and then looked back at Kathryn.

“Just know that I know you, Regina,” Kathryn said. “And I probably knew before you did.”

“You probably did,” mumbled Regina.

“And,” continued Kathryn. “I still love you. Okay?”

Regina sighed, a huge weight lifting off of her chest. “Okay.”

 

\---

 

Killian was on his third cup of punch and Emma felt like making his fourth one her fist.

“Killian, it’s not like the punch is spiked, and we’ve been here for ten minutes already,” Emma said. “You can either leave willingly or I’m dragging you by the ear.”

“I’m _thirsty_ ,” he whined.

"So am I when I watch Buffy, but that doesn't mean I don't know how to handle myself." She sighed. "We look like totals losers hanging out by the punch station. I wanna at least go out on the dance floor and mingle a little."

"C'mon, beard buddy," pleaded Killian. "Let me have one more."

"I'm not letting that happen for the pure fact of you calling me your 'beard buddy'," said Emma, rolling her eyes and she tugged on Killian's arm.

Killian didn't have the chance to say something back as Robin and David came up to the punch bowl.

"Hey Killian!" David greeted. "Hey Emma!"

"Hey," Emma said back, for both herself and Killian, who was too stunned to answer. She let go of the arm of Killian's suit.

"We're just getting drinks for Regina and Kathryn," Robin explained. "You want to come back with us?"

"Sure!" Killian said, his answer made too quickly, and Emma wanted to moan.

They walked back, and as soon as Emma's eyes saw Regina, her mouth went dry. She blamed it on not having any punch.

Regina was wearing a deep red dress, sleeveless, with only a small strip of cloth around her neck to hold it up, as if was clear most of her back was exposed. It ended at midthigh, and it wasn't shy in hiding her curves. The shade of her dress matched the shade of her pouty lips, and she wore black heels that were at least three inches.

Emma coughed into her fist, interrupting her own thoughts. "Hey, Regina," she said, giving a small smile.

Regina returned her small smile. They hadn't seen each other in almost a week due to the argument shortly after school, and they could both feel the tangible awkwardness starting to arise. "Hey, Emma." She looked at Emma's date for the night. "Killian?" she said, trying not to sound malicious. It came out surprised.

"Love," he returned. Kathryn watched the exchange with interest.

The boys were in a comfortable discussion about the spring sports, and Refina blurted out, "I have to use the restroom."

The whole group gave her a weird look. Regina huffed, ignoring her heated cheeks, and tugged at Emma's arm. "Emma, can you come with me?" she asked, but seeing as Emma had no choice but to be dragged away, it seemed more like a demand.

As they reached the dirty stalls, Regina pulled Emma in one and seethed, "Killian? Seriously? _He's_ your prom date?"

"Why does it matter to you?" Emma snapped. "And why do you feel the need to get mad at me for it? You went with _Robin_."

"I had no other choice!" defended Regina.

"Yes you did!" said Emma. "You could have gone with someone who liked you for you!"

"Like who?" Regina asked. "Like you?"

"What?" Emma was caught by surprise, and she prayed that the dim lights of the old bathroom hid her blush. "You know that's not what I meant!"

"It's basically a well known fact that Killian doesn't like girls," Regina said, her face sober. "Why would you go with him if you were?"

"Bastard," Emma hissed, realizing Killian had been lying. "He told me he was still in the closet."

"So you're gay?" Regina said.

"Why?" Emma whispered, her gaze connected to the floor tiles, and her fists clenched. "Do you hate me now, or something?"

"No," Regina said sternly, and she cupped Emma's face and lifted it so their eyes were at the same level. "You don't get to play that game with me. I would never hate you because of your sexuality."

"Then do you want to make fun of me because I fell in love with the straight girl?" A tear ran down Emma's face and at the back of her mind, she was grateful Mary Margaret was such an emotional roller coaster that she used waterproof mascara.

Regina's brown eyes widened, and her breaths became shaky. "Now..." she started. "I never told you I was straight."

"What?" Emma's voice was barely audible.

"I've liked you for two years, Emma," Regina admitted, as she started to tear up herself. Her mascara started to get watery.

"Stop," said Emma, wrenching herself from Regina's grip and grabbing toilet paper to dab at Regina's eyes. "Don't ruin your make up because of me."

"I don't _care_ ," Regina said, laughing breathily, as she took the paper from Emma's grasp and kissed her.

Emma, jumped, startled, but slowly melted into the kiss. It wasn't fireworks like in the movies, but it was a warm feeling, as if she had just chugged an entire liter of her Mary Margaret's hot cocoa in a matter of seconds.

The kiss ended quickly, too quickly, and Emma looked at Regina in shock.

"Wow," Emma said.

"Yeah. Wow," Regina agreed. She paused. "How did you not know I liked you?"

"What?" asked Emma.

"I made it fairly obvious I had a crush on someone. You never asked who it was."

"I didn't wanna know," Emma murmured. "I didn't wanna get my heart broken."

"You're an idiot," Regina laughed, kissing Emma on the nose.

Emma laughed too, as another blush spread through her. "As you've said before."

Emma's phone vibrated and she gave a glance at Regina before grabbing it from her purse and opening it. Regina watched as Emma read a text and started laughing.

"What's so funny?" Regina asked.

"Looks like David wasn't as straight as Killian thought," Emma said, putting her phone back in her purse.

"Oh!" said Regina. "Kathryn told me he was gay. What do you think they're doing?"

"Probably sucking some major face in David's truck," Emma giggled.

"Well, I may not have a truck," said Regina, grasping Emma's bicep. "But they shouldn't be the only ones."

Emma let out an involuntary "Holy shit," before shaking her head and saying, "But what about Robin?"

"Oh yeah. Him," groaned Regina, and Emma snorted. "I just want to sneak out and go to the Castle."

"Well then, my lady," Emma opened the bathroom stall door and held her hand out. "Your carriage awaits."

Regina laughed as she brushed past Emma, getting out of the cramped space. Emma followed soon after, and they quickly snuck out of the gym (it was easy considering it was dark), both ladies outside in a matter of minutes.

"Want me to carry you?" Emma joked. They were walking on the sidewalk, side by same, the same one they had walked on weeks before.

"No," Regina said. "I don't want you getting hurt."

"Seriously?" Emma laughed. "You're super tiny, and I'm super strong. I'm sort of offended."

"We can't make out in the woods if you're in the hospital," mused Regina, and that shut Emma up.

A few moments later, Emma asked, "What about Kathryn?"

"She's had an eye on Robin's co-captain for months now," Regina said, rolling her eyes and smiling. "I'm sure he'll come up in discussion."

"God, I'm _so_ glad that asshole asked you to prom," said Emma, and Regina gave her a playful punch on the shoulder.

They turned into the gravel road that led to their small, wooden destination, Emma sneaking her hand into Regina's as she wondered how Regina could walk in heels so easily, and Regina keeping her hand in Emma's, looking at Emma's blonde hair in the light of the moon.

And, as cliche as it sounds, they were happy.

 

 


End file.
